Duo share lead after Hansen double bogey in Cologne
A closing double bogey from Ryder Cup Dane Soren Hansen – the only one on the hole all day – left England’s Chris Wood and Australian Scott Strange sharing the halfway lead at the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne.
Wood, the 21-year-old from Bristol who was third in The Open in July, continued his bid for a first European Tour title with a 69.
For the second day running he kept a bogey off his card – he cannot recall ever doing that on consecutive days in his career – but his round did include a chip-in par at the short eighth and then a holed bunker shot on the 458-yard 14th.
“It was a bit of a battle, but I’ll take another 18 holes without a bogey - and hopefully another 36,” said Wood, who now stands nine under par.
Only two players, Englishman David J Russell and Swede Jesper Parnevik, have ever gone through a tournament without dropping a shot and both of them won.
“As long as I keep putting myself in position a win is going to happen. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later,” Wood said.
“The greens here are up there with the best I’ve ever putted on, but that has got to be some of the tightest flags I’ve ever played to.”
Strange, winner of last year’s Wales Open and this season’s China Open, scored a 68, while Hansen’s 71 dropped him into a tie for third with South African James Kingston and England’s Ross Fisher.
